Difficult tasks for new CEOs

Over the last year there have been some very important changes, transfers and appointments at the top of companies. The general managers have changed at many of the most important companies in Turkey such as Ülker, Eti, Cisco, Sabancı Holding, Nokia and Yapı Kredi Koray. The new general managers are faced with different agendas … Some will focus on ‘change management’, others on ‘customer satisfaction’ and ‘market share’. There are also those who have goals such as institutionalization, increasing productivity and globalization.

During 2006 we witnessed many changes in high level posts in the business world in 2006. There were also some which surprised us. In a surprise move, Cafer Fındıkoğlu, whose name had become synonymous with Eti, left the company and became the new general manager of Ülker. Fındıkoğlu will manage the process of change at Ülker. Moreover, after Fındıkoğlu had left Eti, which is one of the largest family companies in Turkey, all of the family members withdrew completely from active management and Hazım Ellialtı, the former general manager at Algida, was appointed as Eti CEO.

Another of the important developments in 2006 was Sabancı Holding entering the energy sector. An Energy Group was established within the holding and Selahattin Hakman, who had worked in energy production at Siemens for many years, was appointed to head it. There was also a lot of movement in the insurance sector. The general managers at Anadolu Sigorta and Garanti Emeklik both changed. Mustafa Su was appointed to head Anadolu Sigorta while Erhan Adali took over at Garanti Emeklik.

These new general managers have a very crowded agenda as they get used to their new positions and get to know the companies. They are faced with some difficult tasks. They will all try to realize their companies’ goals. The most difficult tasks facing the new CEOs and general managers can be summarized: as managing change, institutionalizing, strengthening their position and shifting competition away from pricing. Capital studied the agendas of the most important new executives in Turkey who assumed their positions in 2006.

He Will Manage Change At Ülker
Cafer Fındıkoğlu’s move from Eti to Ülker was one of the most transfers of the year. Fındıkoğlu is the new general manager of Ülker Gıda AS, which was the first company in the Ülker Group. He said that the first item on his agenda was ‘situation analysis’. A situation analysis includes analyzing everything from the abilities of the workforce to the modes of doing business, work processes, every dimension of the company’s products using the results to conceptualize the special characteristics of the suppliers. Fındıkoğlu says that his primary target is to manage the process of change in the light of the requirements identified by the results of the analyses. He adds: “Most of my time will be spent managing change and adapt it to the organization’s culture.”

He Will Expand Sabanci In Energy
The energy group at Sabancı Holding has been recently created. Selahattin Hakman has been appointed head of this group. The the Sabancı Energy Group has set a target of having at least a 10 percent market share by 2015 in the production, distribution and commercial areas of the electrical energy market in Turkey. Hakman’s difficult agenda includes developing and realizing the projects required in order to realize these goals. The details comprise the development of human resources and establishing productivity-based business processes which comply with the business excellence model in a manner which is appropriate to the new fields of operation.

The Target Is Leadership In E-Transformation
Erkan Akdemir, who is Cisco’s new general manager, has been appointed at a very important time as his appointment coincides with Cisco’s announcement of some ambitious plans for Turkey. As a result, Erkan has a very busy agenda in a number of different fields. Cisco has had a very successful financial year globally, and particularly in the advanced technology, has introduced some very important innovations.
Part of Akdemir’s agenda will taken up with the new technologies that have begun to be launched in Turkey. The first item on Akdemir’s agenda comprises broadband technologies, such as ADSL, VoIP, Cable TV licenses and digital television.

Özlem Aydın
[email protected]